Good with Kids?
by readwritereview20
Summary: For some reason the royal family doesn't like Arthur being around babies.


**I don't usually write Hetalia fanfiction, but I was having a conversation with a friend and we were talking about William and Kate's baby and Arthur (Britain). Then, I was bored so I wrote it and she very adamantly encouraged me to post it.**

 **July 2013**

Over the centuries that Arthur had been a country he had been exposed to a lot of children. The royals usually had several legitimate children, especially in the earlier generations when childhood mortality rates where high and they needed to ensure an heir. Add on to that the illegitimate children, cousins, nieces, nephews, and other assorted relatives over his entire lifetime. Plus the other human children in his villages and cities, servant's children or children who served his royals or himself.

Obviously this grand total was also comprised of a lot of children that he had been around as babies. He was usually, for reasons that no one ever seemed to have the time to explain to him, not permitted to be in close contact with babies. This hadn't ever really bothered him, less chances to be vomited on and all, but it had made him anxious when he was permitted to hold one.

This didn't happen often, maybe one or two occasions in the last century, but when it did it was a very tense affair for everyone involved. Today was one of those days.

"Just pick him up," The couple's publicity agent urged as she motioned to the small prince, sounding extremely tired and frustrated.

Arthur glanced back over his shoulder to the Duchess and Prince, both looking tired from all of the excitement the arrival of their son had generated. With a shrug he bent over and picked the small creature up from his pram.

This time hadn't seemed to go as bad as he had expected though. The photographer for the magazine that they had agreed to give an exclusive to would snap a few pictures and then instruct him to change poses.

He was having a fine time but everyone else seemed to tire quickly and they were all quite grouchy by the end. The publicity agent was also quite pushy, she was constantly shouting things at him.

 _'Support his head!'_

 _'Hold him with both hands!'_

 _'Hold him by his body not his legs!'_

 _'His feet shouldn't be higher than his head!'_

 _'Whoah! Hold him more tightly, you're going to drop him!'_

Geez! This lady seemed to be really paranoid. When the photographer was finished he carried the small bundle back to his mother, she seemed exceptionally happy to have him back in her arms. It amazed him how strong the bond between a mother and her child were, so much so that she didn't want to be apart from her child for twenty minutes.

Arthur headed home, feeling like had done a good job today.

 **May 2015**

When the couple welcomed their second child last week he had heard, quite literally everywhere he went, about the baby. A girl, and his people were thrilled by the birth of the princess.

He had been asked to come for photographs again today for the public birth announcement. After the success of the last shoot he was far less apprehensive as he arrived at the palace. He entered the room and made his way to the little one's cot.

"Well aren't you ju…" He started as he bent to pick the child up. Strangely, though, he was cut off be a collective objection from the Prince, Duchess, and the baby's great-grandmother, his current queen.

He shrank back quickly, concerned about what had caused the collective panic.. Had someone fallen? "What's wrong?" He asked, glancing around the room.

"Oh, nothing, she's just sleeping, we decided not to wake her," The publicity agent said as she stepped forward, "We decided to opt for a picture of you posing next to the cot instead."

"That makes sense," He replied kneeling next to the baby while several pictures were taken. Once he was done he congratulated the couple again, sharing in a few pleasantries before continuing on his way.

Had he stayed back, just outside the door, he would have heard the conversation exchanged between the royals.

"I would have thought he had improved in the time since you were a baby," The queen commented.

The prince let out a short gasp, "You let him hold me as a child? He held my son upside-down."

"Yes, well we didn't anymore after the time he dropped you," The queen replied as she turned her attention back to the child.

"I think I misheard you, did you just say he dropped me?"

The Queen gave him a knowing smile, "Don't fuss, you turned out alright."


End file.
